This is a summary of the 1st 39 days of our adventure
Oma’s Great Loop – the chronicle of two racing sailors taking their 36 foot trawler on a cruise around the eastern United States and canals of Canada.
October 2, 2025 Departure
Oma slipped her lines and headed toward Chicago lock. Our good friend, Laura W., joined us for our 1st day to Joliet. After 2 locks, 6 hours and a lot of giggles, we tied up at the free wall in Joliet.
Saw lots of wildlife in and along the canal. Deer, bald eagles and a coyote who was swimming across the canal.
October 4 – 13 Illinois River
Locks, the bain of looping. It’s about a 400 ft drop from Chicago to the Mississippi River. 8 locks lower boats as they go down the river.
As pleasure crafts, we have to wait for commercial traffic to go ahead. It can take up to two hours to clear a lock if they are big. There is no way to predict how long it will take to get through a lock.
Down the river we stayed at marinas, free docks and anchored out. We met and traveled in a flotilla of several boats in loose contact. And passed many tows.
We left the Illinois River at Grafton and headed down the mighty Mississippi to Alton Illinois, which is just up river from the only two locks on the Mississippi we needed to make.
Alton Marina: 10/8-10/13
Not all fun and Games
Our last night on the Illinois River was cold and our generator would not start. Called ahead to the marina and they referred me to a mechanic, who showed up the next morning as promised. He was able to diagnose the problem, but he had no solution. However, a sister ship of Oma’s, Beach House, had a generator problem the day before and had a guy. Perry came right out between customers that morning, and talked me through how to “Unhydrolock” the generator. I followed his instructions and with his check ins with me over the next couple of days, we got the generator running again. Neither mechanic would accept cash for their time, since both said they didn’t really do anything… Alton is a long way from Chicago!!
BUT, there was some fun and games. We rented a car and drove into St. Louis with another couple (AdventureUS) that we had breakfast with a few days before on the river. Went to the Arch and the old Cathedral on the water front, then went to the hill for lunch at Zia’s (the hill is one thing about STL that I miss) and then over to the Missouri Bakery (Italian bakery that has been around for a century or more. We stayed an extra day at Alton since the weather was horrible on our planned departure day, and boy were we glad we did – we fell into a great crowd of Loopers…Oh and Docktails for a couple of nights
The Mississippi and Ohio rivers: 10/13 – 10/15
What a ride (in more ways then one)
A group of 8 boats left Alton and gathered just before the Lock. Liz, on Good Karma, gets on the radio and asks for breakfast orders – she is making breakfast tacos. We thought it was a joke and put in our “Order” After clearing the Chain of Rocks lock and Canal, Liz radios the fleet to come and get their breakfasts. She held out the tacos in a grocery bag and the other boats came by with their boat hooks to snag their breakfasts in front of the St. Louis Arch!
Later in the day, she calls everyone for lunch of smothered pot roast! That night we all gathered at their boat on the Kaskaskia Lock wall for a gumbo dinner on their 56 foot yacht.
The next day, we all took off down the river well fed and ended up at the Cape Girardeau diversion channel, where a red beans and rice dinner on Good Karma was repeated, but everyone had to come by dingy.
After the two day food feast, and a 4+Knot current on the Mississippi, Oma able to reach 12 Knts Speed over Ground (SOG) Oma’s Crew decided we needed to anchor out to recover from our food comas… anchored at a beautiful spot on the Ohio river a few miles down river from Paducah KY
Green Turtle Bay 10/15-10/20
Laundry, cleaning and Isenglass…Along with Docktails in Grand Rivers KY. Dinner at Patties is an event (and my Birthday). Good food and good service. Shopping to refill the fridge and cupboard caused us to stay an extra day to avoid a rainy and windy day on the water.
Thanks for the birthday wishes!
Kentucky Lake 10/20-10/24
The Tennessee river is dammed up just before it reaches the Ohio River. When the dam and locks were completed, the area above the dam was flooded, forming Kentucky Lake – but all of the trees, and structures that were flooded were never removed so it is dangerous to stray from the marked channels. As skiers know, trees can be cunning on the slopes, but as boaters know they can be cunning under the water as well, just waiting to rip open the bottom of boats…
As we cruised down the lake we stayed at State Park Marinas that were very nice and an odd marina called Birdsong that has a fresh water pearl farm and museum. It was quite the adventure to go up the creek being instructed over the phone by “Bob” on how not to run aground… The docks were old and in poor repair, but the showers were available. We stayed two days since we needed to go into Nashville to pick up a prescription and do some shopping.
Pickwick Lock and Dam, Aqua Yacht Marina 10/24- 10/28
We had a little excitement in the Pickwick Lock. A single handing sailboat captain, 600 feet behind us, fell off his boat while trying to catch a bollard. It took the lock personnel at least 5 minutes to realize he was in the water. (Suzanne thought she saw him fall, but just thought he stepped down into the cockpit as she couldn’t see him in the water). We offered assistance (hailed the lock on the VHS) and was told to hold our position. They tried to lower a ring Buoy 🛟 to him, but the line as too short and they ended up dropping the ring on him from the wall 50 feet up.
Suzanne and I started prepping Oma for a rescue (put the ladder out, got the throw bag ready, talked about what our plan was). Again we offered assistance and were told to stand by (the fellow had been in the water for 10 plus minutes at this point). About 5 minutes later, the Lock asked us to help. We went back and came alongside his unsecured boat, Suzanne threw him a line and pulled him to our swim platform and the ladder. He was not able to pull himself up the ladder. I rigged the boom and lowered a lifting line to him and pulled him up until he, with Suzanne’s assistance, made it onto Oma.
He was cold and exhausted. We gave him fluids and snacks and we kept an eye on him while we secured his boat to the bollard. Once all was secured, the lock was filled and lifted the chamber level the 40 plus feet to match the Pickwick lake level. Once up, the lock personnel offered to call the EMTs to check him out but he declined any further assistance and moved back to his boat. He was very grateful for our assistance and was shaken up pretty bad. (He had been in the water for close to 30 minutes w/o a life jacket on and was not able to assist very much in his own rescue).
We met up with him at Aqua Yacht Marina later that day and he was embarrassed, but no worse for wear.
At Aqua Yacht, the food fest continued on our friends boat, tailgating for the LSU/Aggie football game, going the next night to the Catfish Hotel restaurant and the day after that into town for ice cream at a pharmacy/museum/soda fountain, then to the Coca-Cola museum in town.
We stayed an extra day at Aqua Yacht – we had the generator transfer switch wiring fixed so we now have a/c and heat when anchored out!!! Which on the next section of of the river will be a necessity! We elected to stay one more day because of weather.
Down the waterway 10/28 – 11/1
Leaving Aqua Yacht harbor, we passed Goat Island. Plenty of island goats there.
They came to the edge of the river to pay their respects to the Island Goat past Commodore.
After a shorter day (10 hours underway), we ended up at Midway Marina, with Good Karma right next to us. Dinner at the restaurant there did not disappoint.
The next day was a long one – first light to dusk to get to Columbus, followed by another long day to Warsaw anchorage. Nice night and beautiful area. Woke up with a little “smoke” on the water. We got underway by 07:10 am and headed out of the anchorage where several other Loopers were passing by, in complete fog…
On the way down to the last Marina before Mobile Bay, we found this:
I kept looking for Clark Kent or possibly Dr Who…
It might be the last payphone in Mississippi….
A lot of the river looked like this – beautiful landscapes and woods….
11/1-11/10 Kingfisher Marina – Mobile Bay
The last stop before Mobile Bay, which is still 215 river miles away, is Kingfisher Marina. No other options. We took this opportunity to cool out for a few days and have some maintenance done on OMA. Flushed the cooling system, replaced the pencil Zincs on both the engine and generator. We also had to have the steering pump removed to get the filler plug out… But Matt, the only mechanic around, was super. He fit us in and completed the work as soon as possible. We loaded up with fuel and took off for Mobile… 215 miles and two locks, the last one will put us in both tidal and brackish water.
We anchored out two nights and had three very long days (up before first light and anchored an hour before last light) and made it to Fairhope Alabama, on the Eastern shore of Mobile bay. Wonderful sunsets!
Fairhope is a very nice little place, lots of flowers and nice people. Here we are after we scootered to the pier in town.
This is where this long post ends and I hope to post on a regular basis.
Paul and Suzanne
Comments
8 responses
Paul & Suzanne: SO excited to see your journey unfold. I will miss both of you this season. Just put the Christmas tree up, we are ready. Just snowed 3 inches at Brighton last night. Looks like we are going to try to open for Thanksgiving. Be safe.
Your friend, Michael
Fairhope is in Ci Ci’s back yard.
Hi you two travelers! Thanks so much for all of you efforts in putting this blog together to share all of your efforts (and joys) in getting to where you are! It’s not surprising that you have met many wonderful folk along the way, and it sounds like those folk are keeping you well supplied with food and drink! Stay safe! Miss your great smiles and laughter! Love and hugs, M
Wonderful blog! So glad you’re both safe & sound & having w wonderful adventure. You are missed here in Utah.
Wonderful blog! So glad you’re both safe & sound & having w wonderful adventure. You are missed here in Utah.
All I can say is… WOW! Sounds like an amazing trip…to say the least! Stay safe and motor on.
Linda & Bob
What an adventure!! We love reading this. Can’t wait to hear what’s next! Showed the photos to baby Finn. He hasn’t been in a car yet but he’s been on a boat on the river, so he’s not too far behind you two!
I had no idea the loop could be so adventurous! Each moment you had to be alert. Adventure always comes with ups and downs. Handling the downs adds to confidence and growth and adds to appreciation of the ups. What a GREAT accomplishment!
Journaling, and adding the details, adds depth to your story. Thanks for that.
The named the boat Oma! 😭
Christa and Bob have many stories about their adventures living on a catamaran. Hope they share a few with you.
Love you cuz. Carol